MAJOR GENERAL CUTHBERT A. PATTILLO

Major General Cuthbert A. Pattillo is director of plans and policy, J-5, United States Readiness Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. He came to the command in July 1977 and served in this capacity until October 1979 when he became deputy commander in chief. In March 1980 General Pattillo returned to his position as director of plans and policy.

General Pattillo Was born in Atlanta and graduated from Atlanta Technical High School in 1942. He graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1962 and The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., with a master's degree in international affairs in 1965. He also graduated from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., in 1965.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in November 1942, later completed the aviation cadet program and received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant at Marianna, Fla., in March 1944.

During World War II General Pattillo served in the European Theater of Operations where he flew P-51 Mustangs with the 352nd Fighter Group. Prior to being shot down and captured by the Germans, he flew 135 combat missions.

At the end of World War II, General Pattillo left the Army Air Forces to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology. While a student he was commander of an F-47 flight with the 54th Fighter Wing of the Georgia National Guard.

He was recalled to active duty in March 1948 and assigned as a jet pilot to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Turner Air Force Base, Ga. In January 1949 he was assigned to the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at Furstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany, flying F-80s and F-84s. While in Europe he helped form and flew on the U.S. Air Forces in Europe-North Atlantic Treaty Organization aerial demonstration team, the "Skyblazers."

In October 1952 he was assigned as a fighter gunnery instructor with the 3542nd Flying Training Squadron at Pinecastle Air Force Base, Fla. In March 1953 he went to Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., as a gunnery instructor with his twin brother, now Lieutenant General Charles C. Pattillo, U.S. Air Force, who is vice director of the Joint Deployment Agency which is collocated with the U.S. Readiness Command. Together they were instrumental in forming the "Thunderbirds," the first U.S. Air Force official aerial demonstration team. General Pattillo flew right wing and his brother flew left wing in the original team in 1953. General Pattillo was assigned as commander of the 3603rd Combat, Crew Training Squadron at Luke Air Force Base in June 1954.

In November 1955 he assumed duties as air operations officer with the 613th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 401st Tactical Fighter Wing at England Air Force Base, La., and in December 1956 served a six-month temporary tour of duty as Ninth Air Force liaison officer with Tactical Air Command rotational units at Aviano Air Base, Italy. He returned to England Air Force Base in June 1957 and served briefly with the 401st Fighter-Bomber Group as operations officer and in September 1957 became commander of the 615th Fighter-Bomber Squadron.

In September 1959 General Pattillo entered the University of Colorado, under the Air Force Institute of Technology program, and graduated in January 1962 with a degree in mathematics. In February 1962 he was assigned to the 4450th Standardization and Evaluation Group at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

In August 1964 he attended the U.S. Army War College. General Pattillo returned to Germany in August 1965 and served as deputy commander for operations with the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn Air Base. In February 1967 he became director of safety for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Lindsey Air Station, Germany.

He transferred to the Republic of Vietnam in August 1968 as vice commander of the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base. In October 1968 he assumed duties as vice commander of the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Tuy Hoa Air Base and in February 1969 became commander of that wing.

Returning to the United States in October 1969, the general was assigned to Headquarters Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base as assistant deputy chief of staff, plans, and in December 1970 become assistant deputy chief of staff, operations. In September 1972 General Pattillo was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as deputy director of operations in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, and assumed duties as director of operations in February 1973.

In May 1974 General Pattillo was assigned to Allied Forces Central Europe as the deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence and senior U.S. representative. The general was transferred to MacDill Air Force Base in July 1977.

He is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with 13 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation emblem with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon, French Croix de Guerre with palm, and Republic of Vietnam Honor Medal, 1st class.

He was promoted to major general Sept. 1, 1972, with date of rank July 1, 1969.

(Current as of July 1980)